Celebrating ten years of community spirit

From the Bolton Evening News, first published Thursday 17th Jan 2002.

A CHURCH centre that has given new heart to Lostock is celebrating its 10th birthday.

Lostock Parish Centre is linked to the Church of St Thomas and St John on Tempest Road and has continually provided a host of activities and church events since it was opened in January, 1992.

The centre's two floors have been home to numerous societies from the area, providing an essential meeting place for community groups.

The first group to benefit was Judith Curley's PlaySchool, which still uses the centre today.

Now the centre also caters for birthday parties and special family events, as well as wedding celebrations.

It was funded when property in Chew Moor was sold for development, and the money raised was allocated to the historic wooden Church.

After much deliberation, it was decided that the community would benefit from a multi-purpose parish centre.

The centre has been involved in various fundraising campaigns and charity events, notably the Parish Brunch raising money for breast cancer research.

One particular success has been the cafe which raises charity funds and each year its staff host a visit of children from Chernobyl.

The decade, however, has not passed without incident. Early in the construction of the centre, vandals demolished newly laid brickwork causing damage estimated at £4,000.

Then in 1996, flooding damaged the wooden floor of the main hall, which cost £20,000 to repair.

When plans were initially drawn up, it was not known whether the centre would be financially viable. But it quickly attracted the attention and support of the public in Lostock and elsewhere.

John Higgins, who has managed the centre since its opening, feels that the area benefits greatly from its presence.

"The centre has brought a lot of community spirit to the area and brought people together. People come from far and wide. When we set out, we had no idea what was going to happen. We took a chance building it, and in the first six months it took off. We had to employ two extra part-time staff," he said.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to all users of the centre. Without them we simply wouldn't exist."

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